Lifestyle

My Top Five Tesla Motors Moments in 2014

Published

10 years ago

December 10, 2014

Each year, Tesla seems to top the previous year with developments and breaking news, and 2014 was no different. Here’s my list of top Tesla Motors moments in 2014:

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk discussing the footprint of the Gigafactory and its energy needs.

5 – Did you say a $5 Billion Gigafactory? In late March, Tesla announced that four states were in the running for the $5 billion Gigafactory that would produce up to 50-GW-h of battery packs per year and 35-GW-h of energy storage packs per year by 2020. Fast forward to later this year and JB Straubel, CTO, Tesla Motors, said “We’re a bit ahead of schedule in the Gigafactory than what we previously communicated. We felt it was important to go as fast as we possibly could and start some production operations in 2016.”

4 – So who won? I can’t leave you hanging, right? The winner of the Gigafactory sweepstakes was Reno, Nevada and it was announced in September 2014. The entire Nevada legislature voted to approve the land and tax incentives received by Tesla Motors. Of course, old media gnats took a swipe at the incentives that Tesla Motors received, based on the fact the company is only ten years old and not a bloated 20th century company, such as Boeing and Volkswagen.

Just this last year, VW received $230 million dollars from the state of Tennessee for plant expansion that creates 2,000 jobs, compared to the 5,000 jobs at the Gigafactory. Musk is big target. This is a great, “Inside Elon Musk’s 1.4 Gigafactory Score,” and it details the competition among states and Tesla Motor’s dealmaking approach.

3- Rising Tides Lifts All Boats, right? So how do you accelerate auto electrification in the industry? Just release your patents. That’s what Tesla Motors did on June 12, 2014 via the blog post, “All Our Patent Are Belong to You,” and it created a big Internet, social media and media buzz for weeks. During the summer, there was conjecture that BMW was talking with Elon Musk, but nothing came out of it.

So why did they do it? From Musk’s blog post: “At Tesla, however, we felt compelled to create patents out of concern that the big car companies would copy our technology and then use their massive manufacturing, sales and marketing power to overwhelm Tesla. We couldn’t have been more wrong. The unfortunate reality is the opposite: electric car programs (or programs for any vehicle that doesn’t burn hydrocarbons) at the major manufacturers are small to non-existent, constituting an average of far less than 1% of their total vehicle sales.”

2- Against It! It can’t be a completely groovy list, right? Back in March, the state of New Jersey blocked Tesla Motors from selling its cars via a non-elected Commissioner board that announced its ruling on Monday morning (public debate ran from 10:37 – 11:15) and voted to approve the ban later that day… Democracy and free markets, not in New Jersey…Michigan…Missouri, Texas, but I digress. The greed freaks (the state dealer association) and their political minions in New Jersey made sure no Tesla Motors retail stores could exist. The “honorable” Governor Christie said there were no talks between the company and his office, and Christie felt it was an issue that the legislature could rectify.

1- All Things D The winner for 2014 is the “All Things D” event and announcement of the Model S P85D (all-wheel drive) that provides the Silicon Valley automaker a new market segment to reach in the coming years and compete with the BMW i8’s price range or higher-end Jaguars and BMW sedans and coupes. Musk tweeted and the Internet followed all the way to southern California, where many witnessed numerous 3.2 second 0 to 60 nighttime demonstrations and driver assist features. Just reported today, these new electric beasts are out on the road in southern California.
Runner ups: The Model X delays vehicle deliveries until 3rd quarter 2015 and on April 24, 2014 the company announced its 100th supercharger. Also, the cross country Tesla Motors trip was a fun 72 hours or so.

Trying out the new superchargers located at Two Brothers Brewery, located in Aurora, IL, the 2nd largest city in Illinois.

**A favorite moment for this Model S driver was the installation of superchargers (photo right) at my favorite craft brewer the Chicago area, Two Brothers Brewery in Aurora.

So what will be the big Tesla Motors moment in 2015? A Model X surprise? Maybe Tesla sells more all-electric vehicles than Nissan’s Leaf? We will see.

Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday.

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

❤️— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2025

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease.

“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

Lifestyle

Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

3 months ago

January 31, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States.

This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.

The convenience of…
— JC Christopher (@JohnChr08117285) January 29, 2025

FSD user’s tale:

As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous.
“This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
“The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

3 months ago

January 14, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products.

The video:

Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver.
The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Future Robo-cop @Tesla_Optimus

full video: https://t.co/TXpSRhcP5K pic.twitter.com/YFHZ7siAP7
— SOKRISPYMEDIA (@sokrispymedia) January 12, 2025

Cool inside jokes:

The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it.
From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.